On govt mind is 2- child bill for legislators

Consultation likely on draft buried 22 years ago

Twenty- two years after a bill proposing disqualification of members of Parliament or state legislatures with more than two children was introduced in the Rajya Sabha and later buried as no consensus was forthcoming, the government is considering further consultations on the draft bill for its smooth passage through Parliament.

The Constitution ( Seventy- ninth) Amendment Bill, 1992, seeks to amend the Directive Principles of State Policy to make population control the state’s duty and provide for disqualification of MPs/ legislators with more than two children.

“A person shall be disqualified from being chosen as a member of either House of Parliament or either House of Legislature of a State if the member has more than two children,” the draft bill says.

The proposed amendment ( if passed), however, will apply in prospective effect and will not apply to any person who has more than two children on the date of commencement of the amendments or within a period of one year of such commencement.

Significantly, the proposed bill also suggests making it a duty to promote and adopt a smallfamily norm in the fundamental duties.

With the Indian population continuing to increase, Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said the government “might consider convening a meeting of the leaders of various political parties in Parliament for further consultation on the bill to arrive at a consensus for its smooth passage”.

The proposed bill was brought after the 1991 census that put India’s population at 844 million.

During the last two decades the proposed bill has, however, seen a lot of turns.

On August 15, 1997, and December 13, 1999, meetings of leaders of various political parties were held but no consensus emerged in favour of the bill.

In view of the provisions of National Population Policy of 2000, which enables couples to adopt family planning methods best suited to them according to their choice, without compulsion, a draft Cabinet Note for withdrawal of the bill was proposed in August 2007.

“However, till date no decision has been taken on the fate of the proposed bill,” added Union health minister Harsh Vardhan.